


(The Sound of) Silence

by PorcelainWings



Series: 25 (holi)Days of Wayhaven [5]
Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: F/M, Gen, How Do I Tag, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Panic Attacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-21
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-13 12:49:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28903662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcelainWings/pseuds/PorcelainWings
Summary: Nat comes out to check on Layton as he calms himself down from a panic attack and muses on his relationships with the team (particularly Morgan and Nat).
Relationships: Male Detective/Morgan (The Wayhaven Chronicles)
Series: 25 (holi)Days of Wayhaven [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2111190
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	(The Sound of) Silence

**Author's Note:**

> This does contain mention of a panic attack, and it is described. Just please be careful if you're sensitive to that 💕  
> The last but one of my Wayhaven Monthly's 2020 (holi)Days of Wayhaven.

_In, hold, out._

It’s cold. Layton rubs his arms shakily as he finally registers the chill in the air. He’s long since lost track of how long he’s been sat on the bonnet of his ol’ reliable; it’s likely not even that long given neither Nat nor Farah have come out to fetch him – though perhaps they’re simply giving him some space.

_In, hold, out._

He feels **horrible.** It’s not Farah’s fault she was so excitable, and not her fault everything had just become so… _overwhelming._ His sigh is still shakey, broken and weak as it leaves his lips in a visible breath. He really hopes she’s not upset. He just hadn’t been prepared for the barrage of noise, and colour, and… _**noise.**_ It’s easier to breathe out here than it was inside at least, the cold nipping more and more at his exposed skin – helping him come back down to reality. His heart’s still trying to escape his ribs though.

_In, hold, out._

The white swirlings of his breath remind him of smoke. It’s mesmerising in a way. _**Distracting.**_

_In, hold, out._

He misses Morgan. The weak ache he’s been dutifully ignoring the past two days clamps down on the pounding in his chest, a whole new kind of tightness he really doesn’t care for. It’s silly really, to miss her so soon… to miss her so much… But things aren’t so… Things are just _nicer_ when she’s around. Life seems easier to deal with when her strong presence is there to reinforce his own. Granted, sometimes Morgan herself can be a little too… _much_ … but… he kinda **likes** it when she’s too much. Everything’s too much sometimes, but she’s a good kind of too much. The small smile that had started to creep onto his lips vanishes with a wince, the tightness having grown to be the kind of too much he doesn’t like. It’s probably a good thing she and Ava are off dealing with agency business anyway; she’d likely be struggling with the volume, and the lights, and the _everythingness_ of Farah’s impromptu celebration too.

_In, hold, out._

He’s wondering whether the trade-off of the anxiety attack for this miserable longing is worth it when he hears the warehouse door open. He can practically feel Nat’s heavy gaze as she comes to join him, her brow furrowed with an open care and concern. She offers him a soft smile when their eyes meet, one he shakily returns. The concern is still in her eyes as she wordlessly asks his permission to join him; permission he easily gives. He continues to breathe as she situates herself on the bonnet next to him.

_In… and hold… and out._

It’s… comfortable sharing his space with Nat. _She’s_ comfortable. Her presence is calm and stable. She doesn’t bolster him like Morgan does, doesn’t send his pulse racing and face flushing, but her presence is comforting all the same. _She’s_ comforting, and they both smile as they feel his tension fade, breathing coming far easier as his heartbeat slows to a more normal, steady pace. He knows she won’t speak first. The peace is his, and he knows she doesn’t feel it her place to disrupt that. He’s not sure whether he appreciates that or wishes she’d break the silence so he doesn’t have to. He swallows any rising anxiety around being a disruption, focusing his attention on the stars as he begins to softly hum a nondescript tune.

Nat’s momentarily caught by surprise; she’s never heard Layton hum before, had never even considered if he’d be musically inclined in fact. His deep voice caresses the notes, its melodic tone ringing pleasantly in her ears. Though slow, the major key gives her a little hope he’s feeling even slightly better. The sight of him running from the room with his hands clasped tightly over his ears forces itself back into her mind’s eye. She’d _noticed_ him getting increasing more distressed, each sudden sound causing a spike in his heartrate, his breathing becoming more frantic with each flash of the coloured lights. With Ava and Morgan gone for the week, she’d let Farah take the lead, hoping to get a bit of energy out of her system so that they could have a calmer time over the holidays; looking back she truly wishes she’d considered the possibility that Farah’s… **Farahness** would overwhelm him.

It’s easy for Layton to see the guilt she feels… he _hates_ it. He winces – he didn’t want anyone to feel guilty for his nonsense, let alone the woman who’s done nothing but attempt to make him feel welcome in their group and their lives. He can’t even bring himself to touch her, but she’s aware enough to notice he wants her attention. The silent apologies they both give in their eyes waved away by the other – an _‘it’s not your fault’_ going unspoken between them both. Whether or not either of them believes it is irrelevant, all guilt being pushed aside in a quiet agreement to simply let it go. He wants to offer her additional reassurance but the words get trapped in his throat, not from lack of wanting, he’s simply not ready to speak… so he starts to hum again. A known song this time, considerably stronger than before.

The words sing themselves in his head along to his hummed melody.

_‘People talking without speaking.’_

Her light laugh makes his lips quirk up, though he continues to hum – the dulcet tones from Simon and Garfunkel enveloping them both. She catches his eye, awaiting the nod he happily gives, before joining his hums with a harmony of her own. Out in the chill of the winter night’s air, on top of a silver hatchback, they share a moment in the sound of silence.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you very much if you’ve made it this far! I hope it wasn’t too much of a chore! Thank you, truly, for your time 💕  
> This was originally posted on my Tumblr.


End file.
